Fairy Tales
by Miss Soupy
Summary: A collection of oneshots all of which feature Orihime. NEW POST: UlquiHime
1. Hero IshiHime

A/N: Ok so, because of the popularity of my Naruto oneshot collection **To Love Sakura**, I decided to branch out and try my hand at some bleach oneshots featuring my favorite bleach female character: Orihime-chan! Well I guess it depends on if people are interested if I continue or not (also depends on if I have some good ideas for some more oneshots).

Disclaimer: sadly bleach belongs to KT and not to me...

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Hero

He is not your average hero, she thinks, all glasses and lanky limbs and sewing needles. He is more like the superhero's secret identity, the boy balancing precariously between nerd and the not-so-noticed boy next door. He is the type that generally isn't noticed unless he wants to be, and mostly he doesn't want to be so he isn't.

But then, she reasoned, he did have the superhero costume and the dramatic poses. In battle he would have a hard, determined look, the kind she imagined real superheroes would have, and he would say something clever before going into action. But then she would remember that he was mostly a reserved person and therefore perhaps wasn't like a superhero in that way.

Orihime would next think that, like a good hero, he was self-sacrificing. He would give up everything to ensure of the safety of whomever he was protecting, whether it be his pride, his powers, or his life. However, every good hero would lose it all only to retrieve it once again because the ending always had to be happy. But…Ishida never considered he would have a happy ending. Where a true hero would be optimistic, she knew he would think realistically.

He could look so fragile; distant and fleeting as if you could see him there one moment and the next he'd just be gone and no one would notice. A real hero would be missed and others would rise up to bring him back. But this would not happen for the last Quincy. He could disappear and no one would notice the absence of the quiet boy with the glasses and dark hair and the kind smile he saved for those most important to him.

But she _would_.

She would miss seeing him, sitting there in sewing club laboriously pouring everything he had into a new design. She knew a real hero probably didn't sew, but it was what made him so unique and she _needed_ him to be that way.

She would miss the way his eyebrows shot together in complete concentration or the way his mouth would thin out, lips coming together in a line when he was faced with a problem. A real hero would charge into battle, consequences forgotten, but that was not how the real world worked. He needed to be cautious or else one day he would not be returning to her and he would never want to hurt her so.

She would miss the faint tinge of pink that would cross his cheeks when she smiled at him, and how he would try and hide it by fiddling with his glasses. He was shy where a hero would always be brave, whether in the face of extreme danger or the girl he loved, it would always be handled with courage and ease. He could never be like this, but that was ok because she was shy too but they knew how the other felt all the same.

She would miss those moments when he felt brave enough to take her hand in his, his oh-so-important fingers entwining with her own, applying just the right amount of pressure that made her feel safe but not enclosed completely. It was proof of how much he believed in her strength and it made her love him all the more. A real hero was one to shield their love from everything, while the damsel would rely completely on the hero to ensure her safety. He was neither that hero nor she that damsel.

She would miss when he held her, for those were the moments when he needed her the most. He had his Quincy Pride, but he let it crumble before her and would allow her to keep him alive. And she would always hold him together, because she knew if he ever really did fall, she would fall too. That was how close they had become, how much they depended on each other. It was both frightening and beautiful.

He would come to her and one look would tell her everything she needed to know. She would pull him to her, his face buried in her hair while her hands went around his neck, and they would just _be_.

Sometimes she would talk about nothing, and it never bothered her if he didn't reply. She knew he was listening, but sometimes there just weren't any words to be said.

She knew a real hero wouldn't allow being held, because it would be up to him to do the holding always, with no exceptions. He always had to remain strong and never depend on another. But Ishida had moments of weakness, though Orihime never really thought of them as such. He needed her and she needed him, and that was all there was to it.

Sometimes it was she who needed to be held, and she was the one that would cry. The tears would fall and fall and fall and he would kiss them all away. When she asked him why he always did this he smiled softly and replied "For every drop of pain you shed its only right to even it out with this comfort." He had only been slightly surprised when she began crying even harder after this reply.

She would definitely miss his kisses. A real hero would be an excellent kisser from the start, she thought, and he had not been. They were both inexperienced and sloppy in the beginning, but that didn't matter. His motto on everything was 'practice makes perfect', and she found she had no problems with this.

His technique was formed completely for her. He knew when to be gentle, when just the tiniest brush of lips was needed. He knew when to be rough, when he would pull her completely to him so he could taste all of her. He knew when to tease, to keep the minimum distant between each other and send her into a frenzy. He knew how to draw out all of those little noises from her, and he would chuckle against her and she would pout because she knew he couldn't resist her when she did that, and it would ensure he got serious.

Orihime knew a real hero could only give half of himself to the one he loved because a real hero could never be tied down. A real hero lived to save others but he would only be around for little while and then he would be gone.

Therefore, in the end she was glad he was not a real hero because she could keep him. He could give her his whole self because he needed to, and she could give him everything in return and know she would not have to miss him.

The not-really-a-hero needed his not-really-a-damsel, and that was all there was to it.

Ishida Uryuu was not a real hero, except for when he really was.

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A/N: I hope that wasn't too bad! It was my first Bleach oneshot... So here's the deal, I'm gonna keep this open and see if people are interested in more Orihime oneshots. Some other pairings I would like to try are RenjiHime, IchiHime, ByaHime, HitsuHime, and ShuuheiHime to name a few. If you are interested in any of these or have some alternate pairing you might wish to see (as long as if features Orihime and keep in mind I DON'T write yuri) you can also add that. Previously I have done a voting system to help determine what pairing is done next so if I see a lot of interest in a particular pairing I will be more likely to do that pairing right away. So anyways, please review and tell me what you wanna see!

--Miss Soupy


	2. Happy Birthday RenjiHime

A/N: In honor of Renji and Orihime's birthdays (which were a few days ago, yes I realize its late, haha) I made a fic for them! BEWARE OF FLUFF (you've been warned)

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Happy Birthday

Renji had never thought of birthdays as a big deal. He had grown up poor so birthdays didn't matter for most of his life, and then once he had become a shinigami he was much too busy to worry about such things as birthdays. Really, what was the point of a birthday for a soul anyways?

But he had found that not everyone felt that birthdays were so unimportant. He had made the mistake of mentioning to Inoue Orihime that his birthday was coming up, August 31st to be exact. She had nearly pounced on him in excitement, telling him that her birthday was coming up soon as well, just three days after his. She had then proceeded to begin planning a joint party for the two of them for all of their friends to attend. Renji had just scratched his head awkwardly and agreed, not wanting to ruin the girl's obvious fun.

That day during lunch, the two sat down together and Orihime made a list of things they would need for the party. Renji, feeling unhelpful in his birthday ignorance, told her he would help however he could but admitted he knew nothing about birthdays.

"It's ok Renji-kun! Just leave it to me!"

"You sure Inoue? I don't want you to have to do all the work."

"I know, I'll make the invitations and you can mail them for me ok?"

Renji had consented to do this job, even though he didn't know what this 'mail' thing was. Orihime assured him it was easy; all he had to do was take the invitations and put them in the big blue box at the street corner by her house.

That evening, Renji came by and Orihime had gave him the letters and sent him on his mission while she returned to making the birthday cake.

Meanwhile, Renji, who was on his mailing mission, hit a snag in the form of not one, but _two_ big blue boxes at the corner. He looked back and forth between the two boxes, one was metal, the other plastic, but both were undeniably big and blue and had an opening.

Growling to himself, he noticed that one of them had a strange white arrow pattern on the top which, taking it as a good sign, he deposited the letters within it and went on his way.

The next day at school Orihime was so excited about the party she failed to notice that _no one_ had mentioned anything about it. After school, she had promptly hurried home with a gleeful smile spread across her face, to get ready and wait for their friends to start arriving.

The first guest to arrive had been Renji, looking slightly lost but grinned broadly at Orihime who greeted him and sat on the floor at the small table.

"I'm really happy we could have a party Renji-kun! Isn't it exciting?" she asked him giddily, taking a seat across from him.

Thinking that her excitement was very contagious, Renji had to agree that he _was_ excited about having his first real birthday party.

"I just can't wait to eat some of that cake," he replied, eyeing the cake that sat between them, the two candles flickering slightly from the moving air.

The two grinned and fell silent as they waited.

…and waited…

…and waited some more.

"Ano…Renji-kun…I don't think anyone is coming," Orihime voiced after an hour of waiting. "I'm sure I put the right date on those invitations! Did you remember to mail them?" she wondered, her head cocked slightly to the side.

Dread came crashing down upon Renji as he started to realize that the fault could very well lie in him.

"Er…I put them in a blue box. The problem was there were two blue boxes so I put them in the one with the arrows on it."

Orihime tapped a finger to her chin in thought for a moment, her face scrunched up for a moment before understanding dawned upon her.

"Oh! I see now! The arrows must be for the recycling container," she giggled and Renji held his face in his hand. "Gomen Renji-kun. I forgot about those."

Renji frowned and dropped his hand. "But it's my fault no one knows about the party," he pointed out, wondering how she could still be so happy.

"That's okay," Orihime smiled and Renji felt his spirits lift considerably. "Maybe we can just have another party! But for now let's make a wish and blow out our candles!"

"Eh? Make a wish?"

"That's right. If you make a wish before you blow out your candles it will come true."

Renji gave the girl a disbelieving look but in the end decided to give it a try. Looking at the bright eyed girl across from him he made his wish and blew while Orihime mimicked him with her own candle. He knew his wish was a longshot, but he didn't expect this wishing thing to work anyways.

After the two had finished, Renji helped Orihime wash their dishes and put things away.

"I hope you had a happy birthday Renji-kun," Orihime voiced as the shinigami prepared to head out. "I-it was what I wished for."

Renji blinked in surprise at her statement and felt warmth spread inside him at her thoughtfulness.

"You wasted your wish on me?"

"I didn't waste it! I just wanted you to have a good birthday and I thought I'd do everything I could to make sure you did, that's all…"

Renji gave the girl an odd look before a thought hit him and an impish grin spread across his face.

"S'that so? Well, you know, my birthday wish didn't come true."

"Ah, it didn't?" Orihime frowned, looking up at him. "What did you wish for Renji-kun?"

Renji's grin widened as he bent forward slightly and pointed to the corner of his mouth. "I wished for a birthday kiss."

He had done it mostly as a joke, so when Orihime paused for a moment and then tip-toed up to plant a soft kiss against the corner of his mouth as he had indicated, he was quite thoroughly surprised.

But, he thought, it was a _good _surprise, even if it did cause his face to heat up.

"Uh…thanks Hime…" Renji voiced awkwardly, looking down at the girl who now held a thoughtful expression upon her face.

"Um, Renji-kun?" the girl began, smiling shyly. "Do you think I could…have a birthday kiss too?"

Orihime brought a slender finger up echoing his actions a moment ago. Only this time, she undoubtedly pointed to her lips.

Renji's eyes widened a fraction more at the girl's boldness while observing her small smile and wide innocent eyes.

But his shock was short-lived and a moment later he was grinning and leaning towards her, a hand moving to cup the back of her head.

"Anything for the birthday girl."

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A/N: hopefully that wasn't too bad...I really liked the idea of them having a birthday together... Don't worry reviewers, I haven't forgotten your pairing wishes, just be patient. Oh, and please review! Current wanted pairings: Shuuhei/Hime, Hitsu/Hime, Bya/Hime, and Ichi/Hime..I think those were all so far. If you have any other requests just say so in your review : )

--Miss Soupy


	3. Growth HitsuHime

Growth

For Hitsugaya Toushirou, nothing was more important than his duty, his friends, and his finally acquired growth spurt.

So what if he wasn't s tall as Matsumoto quite yet? He was getting there, _finally_, and _nothing_ could ruin the sense of satisfaction he got from being on eye level with most people.

Sure, he wasn't at a Renji or Kenpachi or Byakuya level of height, but he was pretty sure he had passed up Orihime by an inch or so. Of course, he hadn't seen his old housemate for quite sometime, which Rangiku was one to remind him of constantly.

"When are you going to go visit Orihime? She always asks how you are and I'm running out of excuses for you! You know Taichou, it wouldn't kill you to leave the paperwork and take a little break."

So, agreeing with his vice-captain for once, he consented and decided to make a little trip to the living world. He even felt himself become anxious for Orihime to see just how much he had grown.

Surely she would be surprised, he thought with a smug smile as he appeared outside the girl's apartment building, snuggly fit in his new gigai. His previous one had been, of course, too small for him to use now.

But, Orihime still seemed to like making things difficult for him as he soon discovered she was not home.

Growling to himself, he took to the streets, as he expanded his senses to find her reiatsu. After living with her, he could pick on her reiatsu fairly easily and he set off in her direction.

Before he knew it, there she was at the other side of the crosswalk, long orange hair blowing, her eyes upturned to the sky with a contemplative look upon her face.

And in the next moment she was looking at him, blinking rapidly in surprise as she registered a familiar face. He smirked, but his face soon turned to one of shock as in a flash she was across the crosswalk and giving him a backbreaking hug.

"Toushirou-kun! You finally came to visit! I missed you so much!"

Awkwardly, the white haired boy reached around and gave the girl a one handed hug in return.

"Oi, Inoue, you're stronger than you think," he winced and Orihime released him with an apologetic smile.

"Gomenesai, Toushirou-kun, but I was so excited to see you! I had just been thinking that something good was going to happen today. And I was right!" her smile widened as she looked happily into his vivid green eyes.

_Any moment now she'll realize…, _Hitsugaya thought to himself, and just to be sure, he straightened up to his full height, which, with the help of spiky hair, was indeed taller than Orihime.

And then, when Orihime's eyes widened, a self-satisfied smile glided across his face…until Orihime seized his hand and pulled him away saying, "I know! Let's go get some ice cream! I remember you liked that one parlor not too far from here."

Face falling, Hitsugaya numbly allowed the girl to pull him away to their chosen destination.

_She didn't…even…notice!_

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Even though Orihime had failed to notice the change in him, Hitsugaya thought, all in all he still enjoyed her company.

At least Orihime wasn't one to talk only about breasts and sake and men as the other female he was –un-fortunate to be associated with. Truth be told, he wasn't always sure _what_ Orihime talked about, but that was alright. She was…dare he say…_endearing_ in her own Orihime-ish way, and he found he really had missed her.

He had missed her bright smiles and optimistic attitude. He had missed the talks the two of them had some nights, when she would bring him hot tea on the roof and they would worry to each other or just sit in silence and admire the night sky.

He even missed her strange taste in food, he thought as he watched her try to decide what flavors of ice cream to mesh together.

And when she finally decided on peanut butter and peach and the girl behind the counter turned to take Hitsugaya's order, he didn't miss the brief sweep of her eyes over his figure.

Now _that_ he hadn't been expecting, and he gave the girl his best scowl while he ordered plain vanilla and looked to where Orihime was slurping up her mess of ice cream, oblivious to the world.

Mood going south because not only did Orihime not even notice his drastic height change but now he was already experiencing negative effects to the said change, Hitsugaya dejectedly took his ice cream and stalked out of the parlor to wait for Orihime.

"Mmm this is really good! How's yours?" Orihime asked as she joined him on the sidewalk outside.

"Its fine," he mumbled, but took a lick so as not to seem ungrateful.

Apparently his answer had been enough for orange haired girl, for she said excitedly, "Let's walk through the park!"

Tugging him away, two began a leisurely stroll through the park. And once again, Hitsugaya found himself at the end of odd looks from various females that would pass the two by.

He had wanted to grow for more attention, but not _this_ kind of attention!

Subconsciously he moved closer to Orihime who was just finishing off her treat and had turned to smile at him, but seeing his annoyed scowl, she frowned and studied him for a moment before abruptly coming to a stop.

Turning to face her, Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"There's something different about you and I can't figure out what! It's really bothering me," Orihime frowned, tilting her head to the side as if the new angle would solve the puzzle.

Hitsugaya stared blankly at the oblivious girl, wondering if it was even worth telling her now. But before he realized what he was doing he was smiling softly at her and leaning forward to place a chaste kiss on her forehead.

He hoped now she would figure it out, for it was something he definitely wouldn't have been about to do the last time he had seen her.

Orihime continued to regard him with a studious look, but before Hitsugaya's smirk could totally fall, understanding passed over the girls face and she smiled again.

"Oh! I see now!"

Grinning triumphantly, Hitsugaya awaited the compliments he rightfully deserved.

"Yes! You are using a different shampoo now because you don't have to borrow mine anymore! Sorry, I forgot about that."

Pride shot, Hitsugaya stared open mouthed at Orihime who giggled and interlaced her fingers with his, leading him away once more.

Looking down at their joined hands, Hitsugaya shook his head and wondered how many more visits it would take to make her notice. But oddly enough, he found himself enjoying the way her hand fit in his, and the ice master decided he would keep coming as long as it took, for this was a challenge he could actually come to enjoy.

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A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed this. It was harder writing Whitey-kun than it was to write Renji or Ishida, but I gave it my best! Mmk, well please don't forget to review!


	4. Label Me Not ShuuHime

Label Me Not

Shuuhei knew he must look pretty odd to the living people, that they probably stereotyped him as punk, rebel, and vagabond just from his appearance. Someone like Orihime on the other hand would be categorized as bubbly, cute, and innocent. He had to admit that even he had fallen into the trap of trying to put a label on the girl when he had first met her. Of course, after spending some time with her, everything had changed for him. She was just so different than anyone else, so uniquely herself that she could not be tagged as anything other than…Orihime.

But still he knew what people would think of her and they then would be thoroughly surprised when it was this 'innocent' girl instead of the 'punk' who came up with the idea that they should go to a rock concert.

He could no longer be fooled in this way for Shuuhei knew Orihime well enough by now to know he should never classify her as anything for she would surely surprise him and turn out to be the opposite.

After a brief layover in the living world, Orihime had taken it upon herself to make sure Shuuhei enjoyed his stay. This of course is where the rock concert idea came into play. She had heard that such things were fun, and it just so happened that a local band would be performing on a night in which they were both free.

Now, being a shinigami, Shuuhei didn't really know what this 'rock concert' business was. For all he could tell, people enjoyed watching rocks (or perhaps even throwing them? Shuuhei shuddered at the thought of Orihime being anywhere near an experience like _that_). But Orihime had looked so excited about her idea that he didn't have the heart to turn her down so he agreed to go see the rocks with her.

Upon arriving, Shuuhei had been quite surprised to find a rock concert really had nothing to do with rocks at all but instead a mass of people mulling about in front of a stage and _a lot_ of noise.

"Oh! They started performing already," Orihime said excitedly upon their arrival, while catching Shuuhei's arm and tugging him further into the crowd.

Blinking, the shinigami paused and looked to the stage, finally realizing the noise was actually supposed to be _music_. Looking around him, he noticed some people seemed to be clapping, others jumping, a few dancing, and more nodding their heads in an odd way. Either way, the people around them seemed to be enjoying themselves and he wondered if he was missing something. To him it didn't seem all that exciting; though, watching everyone else could be seen as slightly entertaining.

Leaning down, Shuuhei felt the need to point out the obvious and spoke into Orihime's ear, "It's really loud!"

What he got was a loud "What!" in return and he shook his head helplessly.

The noise could almost be compared to a hollow's scream, which sent his whole body ablaze with adrenaline to begin fighting. Closing his eyes briefly, Shuuhei tried to calm his vibrating nerves but found the loud pulsing music would not allow it. What was already ingrained in his body couldn't be changed now.

Opening his eyes once more, he turned to say something to Orihime only to find the space she had been occupying a moment ago was now empty. He stared at the spot of a moment before it really hit him. His confusion was quickly replaced by worry and he swiveled his neck around looking around him while trying not to panic. The crowd had grown much thicker since they had arrived and Shuuhei found himself bumped and pushed from all sides as he tried to navigate the mass to find Orihime.

Finally, a flash of bright orange hair caught his attention and looked to see a rather confused Orihime being pushed along by the crowd. Her trip was cut short however when she was pushed right into a pair of creepy looking men with odd hair and many piercings.

"Hey you, get off!" on of them yelled, pushing Orihime back with so much force she fell to the ground with a surprised squeak.

"Heh," the other snickered as wobbled to her feet once more, "You must be lost little girl. You better run on home before you get hurt."

In seconds Shuuhei stood between Orihime and the two men, his face contorted in annoyance as he looked at them.

"You two want someone to pick on, then pick on me," Shuuhei spoke flatly, jabbing a thumb at himself as his eyes flashed threateningly.

The leers of the two men fell as they took in Shuuhei's scars, tattoos, and biceps and they visibly faltered.

"No?" Shuuhei continued when the two made no move to challenge him, "Then get lost!"

Almost eagerly, the two turned and disappeared into the crowd, glancing briefly over their shoulders as they went.

Shuuhei snorted and turning back to Orihime he found the girl smiling apologetically.

"Sorry Shuuhei-kun, but I don't think I like this concert very much. How about we go to a movie instead?"

Nodding in complete agreement, Shuuhei boldly took Orihime's hand and led her out of the crowd. Feeling better now that things were quiet allowed his grip to loosen so he held her hand casually. Stopping a safe distance away, Shuuhei felt the need to say something without really knowing what he should say.

Looking down at Orihime who was rubbing her ear with her free hand, he finally realized what it was he had wanted to say.

"Er, arigatou Inoue-san, for spending time with me," he voiced awkwardly, running a hand through his hair while keeping a hold on Orihime's other hand.

The girl blinked up at him for a moment with an odd look on her face and Shuuhei opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he saw her lean in closer. Stiffening, Shuuhei gulped and couldn't stop a slight blush from beginning to show on his cheeks.

When her face was only a few inches from his own she stopped and turned an ear towards his mouth and exclaimed loudly: "What!"

Flinching from the loud question, Shuuhei looked down helplessly at the apparently deaf girl.

"…Nevermind." he replied, his eye twitching uncontrollably before he hung his head in surrender.

Once again the girl had reminded him of the number one rule when dealing with her.

Never underestimate Inoue Orihime's ability to completely do the opposite of what you expect in _any_ given situation.

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A/N: I finally was able to write a ShuuheiHime, I'm so happy! Special thanks to my friend Lotus Blossom who gave me a push in the right direction with the rock concert idea. Not sure what pairing I will try next... Please don't forget to review!

--Miss Soupy


	5. Feel UlquiHime

A/N: WARNING! Contains manga spoilers!

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Feel

"Why do you do it? Why do you follow Aizen-sama?"

"What else would there be for me to do?"

Ulquiorra didn't understand why it was an important thing to know, nor why the girl was asking. It _should_ have been clear.

"There are lots of things you could do-"

If he had been a different creature, he might have laughed at that statement. She was imaginative and optimistic, but that was not how reality worked, he knew.

"Where would someone like myself belong if not with Aizen-sama?"

It was not a real question, but the girl tried to take it as one as her face scrunched up in thought.

"Um…"

Ulquiorra stepped closer. "I would certainly not belong with weak creatures like humans."

His eyes moved away from her to glance to the side. "I am no doubt considered a monster and enemy to the shinigami, so I would not be welcomed in the Soul Society." His eyes returned to hers as he spoke in that flat tone, "This is where I must be."

"But _why_?" the girl persisted, her eyes too honest and too innocent.

"I was created to be a soldier for Aizen-sama and that is what I will do."

It should have been simple to understand. Aizen's purpose was his purpose and that was how it was. It was what he had been created to do.

"Even if you were created by Aizen-sama, you still have a will."

The girl's mouth moved into a set line, her eyebrows tensed from the belief in her own words.

When Ulquiorra stayed silent she went on, her voice straining to sound light and friendly. "I mean, I should know, since my powers depend on the strength of my own will. I can kind of understand the wills of others. You might be Aizen-sama's soldier now, but you still have a will of your own."

Dark green eyes blinked as the arrancar listened to the human's words. She was too kind, but he could admit she was observant.

"My will is only there to serve Aizen-sama and his vision. Did you not also admit to that same thing?" he countered, noting how the girl's eyes lost some of their brightness as she nodded her head.

"Hai…"

Ulquiorra jerked his hand out to hold her chin, forcing her to look at him. While arrancar had no need for emotion, there was one that he recognized the easiest, and it was displayed on the girls face.

"There is pain in your eyes and in your voice," he told her, relishing how her eyes opened wide in surprise from his touch. "Emotions are the weakness of a human. When you become an arrancar, such things will not matter."

"I would rather have them, even if they are painful, than not have them at all," she squeaked, her voice trembling in fear and yet managing to remain adamant.

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and stepped back, releasing his hold on her chin. "That is foolish."

The girl smiled wearily at him and agreed, "Maybe it is, but that is how I feel."

Ulquiorra was silent for a moment and watched as the girl brought her hand up to stifle a yawn.

"You are tired." the arrancar pointed out, noting darkness forming under her eyes. "As an arrancar you would not feel tired or hungry."

Laying down on the large couch in her rather sparse room, the girl sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I like eating and I like sleeping. Cooking is a lot of fun, and its nice to have dreams."

"They are a waste of time." Ulquiorra said shortly, as if there was no argument.

Turning to lay on her side, the girl watched him with sleepy eyes. "You were a human once too."

Ulquiorra had to pause at this. "Yes, I was." he admitted, unsure of what else could be said.

Her eyes began to close and another yawn escaped her lips. "You felt once too, and ate and slept." Her head was slipping down as sleep began to claim her, and her final words were, "I wonder what you were like…"

He stood unmoving for a time, watching the girl as she slept, watching her chest rise and fall as she breathed, watching her completely relaxed face, watching her hair falling around her face.

He had never seen someone in this way, so completely care-free, and he felt himself tense slightly because it seemed so _unnatural_. Arrancar did not sleep, hollow did not sleep. Aizen slept, he knew, but never allowed anyone to witness such an act.

Was she not fearful? Did she not think he could kill her in an instant, or did she just not care?

Ulquiorra had to admit he couldn't understand this girl.

And then he couldn't understand why he was approaching her.

He couldn't understand why he was extending his arm to touch her.

He couldn't understand why his hand moved to brush against her face.

Her hair was soft and silky and her face was warm, so different than his own. A tingling in his fingers alerted him to the warmth that was now seeping into them as well.

He was an arrancar who only lived to serve Aizen. He did not sleep, he did not eat, he did not feel. But under all of his layers, under what he had been molded into, he had been as human as this girl.

The arrancar shook his head as he retreated. He did not understand the quivering deep within his bones or the stirring in the back of his mind.

Ulquiorra distanced himself from the girls room, already noticing the warmth fade away into the cold he was used to. But he found it strange that he almost missed the feeling.

"Inoue Orihime…what do you think I would have been like?"

* * *

A/N: I couldn't resist writing this pairng after all of their interactions in the manga recently! I really think its an interesting pairing. Ulquiorra is just so creepy and silent, I had to get into his brain and attempt to write him. Dunno if I did well or not, but I tried and I'm happy with that. Thank you to all my reviewers, hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

--Miss Soupy


	6. Similar ByaHime

Similar

"We are a lot alike you know, Byakuya-kun."

Steely eyes moved to stare disbelievingly at a round smiling face. She couldn't possible be _serious_. There was no way he, Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of the 6th division and head of the noble Kuchiki clan could be compared to a 16 year old human with large smile and an even larger imagination.

No, the girl was obviously confused, but feeling a need to be polite (he wouldn't admit he was slightly curious), he decided to humor the girl and asked, "How so?"

Perhaps not the best course of action he could have taken, given who the girl was and the amount of chaos she could cause, but he had asked, and now she would surely tell him.

"Well, our eyes are the same color!" Orihime replied, making an odd pointing motion towards her face and grinning as if she was proud of the fact she had noticed it.

Byakuya frowned as leaned forward slightly to scrutinize her wide eyes before leaning away again.

To him, they seemed quite unlike his eyes except that they were, in fact, _gray_. But even then they were quite different shades with hers a light hazel while his own were dark coal. And besides the color, his eyes were piercing while hers were wide and innocent.

Truthfully he could point out more differences between them than similarities, but since she hadn't specified the depth of the observation, he had to admit she was indeed correct that they both _did_ have eyes that were the same basic color.

"We have gray eyes," Byakuya drawled, mostly to appease the anxious girl who seemed to have been waiting for his reply.

"Mm!" she quickly agreed and leaned forward excitedly. "But that's not all!"

Byakuya blinked slowly.

There was _more_?

Apparently the girl had noticed his surprise because she began nodding enthusiastically and lifted her fist into the air.

"We both have flower power!"

There was an odd almost _challenging_ glint in her eyes as she said it, as if she had been talking about some secret powerful ability the two of them shared. Byakuya half expected flowers to sprout from the girls ears, but of course that was just silly and he shouldn't be thinking odd things like _that_.

So, feeling decidedly unsure of what exactly could be meant by 'flower power' Byakuya eyed the girls raised fist and asked, "Flower power?"

"Definitely! You have Senbonzakura's cherry blossoms and I have my Shun Shun Rikka, therefore we have FLOWER POWER!"

Ears ringing, Byakuya thought his brain was surely crumbling, or perhaps that was just his pride withering into dust. Just the idea of his abilities being described in such a way…well, no outsider could know of this and hope to live.

It was one thing to discuss such things with Orihime; she could be entertaining, he had to admit, but she didn't care about things like pride or dignity. She had the distinct ability to break down any man from a warrior to nothing more than a diminutive toy soldier. She could emasculate the noblest or hardiest of men into something as delicate as a glass doll. And the genius of it was she didn't even _realize_.

"Ah" was all the noble could offer to such a statement, but it seemed enough for the girl because she giggled.

"It's true isn't it? But that's not even the most important thing!"

Byakuya's eyes widened fractionally.

Oh no…

When Orihime reached her hand out towards him Byakuya tensed out of reflex.

"Most importantly, we both wear our memories in our hair," she said, softly this time as her fingers came to rest on the long beads that lay snugly against his scalp.

Byakuya stared down at the girl and saw understanding in her eyes. The beads were a symbol of his clan, the memories of those who led before him, and this girl _understood_.

A rare smile graced his features as he mimicked her motions and reached out to touch one of the flower pins sitting delicately in her hair.

"Indeed we do."

Shinigami and human.

Noble and orphan.

Man and woman.

Opposites and yet…similarities could be found by those who looked. And even someone as ancient as he could learn.

"I'm glad we are alike," she confessed, a hint of shyness to her voice even as she smiled.

Byakuya allowed his hand to drift down to gently cup her cheek.

"So am I."

* * *

A/N: oh I loooove Byakuya, he's probably my favorite bleach character so writing him is just awesome for me. Setting him up with our favorite Hime-chan is just asking for trouble but I think it's just so cute/sigh I shouldn't get so excited about these things... Well I hope you liked it. IchiHime should be next, I NEED to write a IchiHime, I've just been lazy about it and Byakuya demanded my attention.

Also, for those who really like this pairing, I'm in the process of writing a multi-chapter story with this pairing. Sadly I won't post till it's mostly complete, which could take awhile. But because of the rarity of this pairing I thought I'd give you a heads up anyways.

Till next time,

--Miss Soupy


	7. Snow Angel IchiHime

Snow Angel

It started with the most innocent of words.

"Kurosaki-kun, let's make snow angels!"

Alarmed, he had looked to her hoping she hadn't really said it, though already knowing she _had_.

What could possess her to think _he_ would want to make snow angels?

Sure, there was the very _slight_ possibility he had done it before, but if he had, it would have happened a long time ago when all he had wanted in life was to impress his mother.

There was no way he would ever perform such an act now; he had spent far too long sculpting his reputation to the present and he was not about to ruin it.

But then she was giving him that look again.

It wasn't the look she gave him every day he asked to walk her home. The look she gave him when he did _that_ was innocent with a twinge of lost puppy.

How could someone at the top of their class always look so lost anyways? Ichigo didn't really know, but she always seemed to be the _most_ lost when he spoke to her, oddly enough, but he didn't mind.

This look was different.

Oh it was still a very innocent look, however now she wasn't confused or lost but instead in complete control. This look was potentially much more dangerous for him, because usually she would have her way regardless of how he felt on the matter.

And damn it, this time the matter involved _snow angels_.

Sure enough, Orihime hadn't even waited for his reply and was already plopping down into the snow. Ichigo watched from above as she wriggled around for a moment as if trying to find the perfect spot. Seeming to find a suitable position, Orihime smiled briefly up at him before she unceremoniously began flapping her arms and legs.

From the determined set of her face, you would think making snow angels was a sort of art. To Ichigo it seemed like random waving of ones arms and legs through the cold wet snow.

When she finally ceased her movement, Ichigo let out a breath of relief.

Orihime on the other hand now had that lost look on her face again.

"The real trick is getting up once you're done," she confessed, as she turned her head in one direction and then the other, trying to find a suitable escape route.

Her face had turned determined now, and if Ichigo looked hard enough, he could almost see the wheels turning as she thought up various (no doubt) crazy ideas on how to get out of her current predicament. He could almost imagine the contortions she was trying to come up with using that wild imagination of hers.

Because he didn't trust himself with the poses she could come up with, he offered her a hand and hoisted her up and _politely_ brushed loose snow off of the back of her jacket, and even (without her noticing) gave her hair a brief stroke.

"Thank you Kurosaki-kun! It works a lot better with a partner."

She smiled at him and he gave his semi-grin in return and they both gazed down at her handiwork. Well, she looked down at it and he glanced before looking back at her face which was changing once again.

This time she looked almost _sad_, and he couldn't figure out what the cause of the sudden sadness could be. The snow angel looked fine to him so there really wasn't a reason to frown like that.

"It looks so…lonely."

_Uh oh._

Ichigo could feel his will crumbling now. He wasn't sure which it was, the pained sound of her voice, or perhaps it was the grim shape of her mouth, or maybe even the depressed gleam in her eyes, but it didn't really matter because Ichigo was already lowering himself down into the snow.

"Kurosaki-kun, what are you doing?" Orihime asked, but the way her hand covered a broad smile told Ichigo she was _well_ aware of what he was doing.

"It doesn't look right with only one," he mumbled, and then with a resigned sigh he first moved his arms up and down followed by moving his legs side to side. It really only lasted for a few seconds and then Orihime was giggling and helping him stand.

Stealing a glance around the park, Ichigo was glad to see that none of his friends suddenly jumped out of the bushes as witnesses to the act he had just performed. He really wouldn't have been surprised if they had, but it seemed just this once fortune was smiling at him.

Well, actually _Orihime_ was smiling at him, and he thought that seemed even better somehow.

"You are very good at snow angels Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime praised while looking gleefully down at their pair of snow creations.

Ichigo grimaced at the…compliment? He didn't really think of it as such, but there she was smiling again and he quickly forgot his discomfort.

"What are you talking about? Yours looks a lot better."

It was true, Orihime's angel _was _nicer. His looked rushed and sloppy while hers was _perfect_. Each side was exactly as its opposite and it held no smudges.

"That's not true! Look, yours is bigger than mine." She had said it as if that automatically made his the better of the two and Ichigo shook his head. But, she was looking determined again and he really didn't feel like arguing.

"They both look…nice."

There, he had said it and he had even _sounded_ like he believed it.

"Mm, they do."

And even better, she had agreed.

_Nice Ichigo._

She shared a gentle smile with him, and he had given her one of his rare real smiles in return.

Briefly Ichigo thought he might like to kiss her, but he wondered if maybe he was taking too many chances for that day. Not that he usually worried about these things, it was true he was the type of person to live on impulse alone, but this was very different than jumping into a dangerous battle.

So caught up was he in his inner debate, Ichigo didn't notice Orihime's expression had changed once again.

"Hey Kurosaki-kun? Now let's make butt-prints!"

* * *

A/N: There I did it! Finally an IchiHime fic for your enjoyment. Funny how this wasn't even what I had originally wanted to write about /laughs. But I like it, and it seems relevant to the season even. Hmm, now what pairing shall I try...

Merry Christmas!

--Miss Soupy


	8. Closed Eyes UlquiHime

Closed Eyes

"Show the recording of yesterday's visit," Aizen commands, and Ulquiorra immediately does as he is told. He removes his eye and crushes it, and suddenly the air is filled with visionary particles.

They both watch as Ulquiorra enters her room, and as usual the girl greets him with a startled, "Ulquiorra-san!"

A cart of food is pushed in, the arrancar who delivered it leaves a moment later and Ulquiorra commands her to eat.

He watches her for a moment as she moves to do as he says. She no longer fights him, but she never quite finishes everything set out for her.

Minutes later, she'll set her chopsticks down and mumble that she is full and her eyes will move to look at him.

He takes a last glance around the room as the girl sadly sits upon her couch, and then he seats himself with his back against the door and closes his eyes.

This is where the broadcast ends, as nothing but darkness is shown.

"Meditating," Ulquiorra explains needlessly, for Aizen isn't really listening anymore.

"She is still broken. Good." Aizen says, his expression is confident and Ulquiorra knows he is dismissed.

Ulquiorra can never be completely sure Aizen doesn't suspect him, but he knows in the end it wouldn't matter anyways.

Aizen is Aizen, and in the end he will win, regardless of everything.

But Ulquiorra, the replaceable pawn of Aizen, knows something his master does not.

That she is _not _broken.

He moves fluently through the halls, his steps just as calculated as everything else. Ulquiorra is no fool; he knows he deserves better than to play babysitter for the human girl he had stolen, that it could be considered a slap in the face Aizen chose _him_ to do it, when any lesser arrancar could do just as well. Perhaps Aizen _is_ worried about the force coming their way to take the girl back.

The arrancar reaches her door and enters, and she greets him with a breathy, "Ulquiorra-san!" as is habit for her. Her eyes are wide with shock but he looks away before they soften into familiarity.

"Silence woman," he commands, crouching to set his back against the door as his green eyes close.

Aizen always complimented him on his gift. His recording abilities had come in handy numerous times, not only for information gathering but for making sure he stayed in line. His eyes were a point of control that Aizen had over him and with them he could see whatever he wished.

But when closed, Aizen would know nothing.

Aizen would not know only a few moments after Ulquiorra sat, the girl approached and took a seat next to him against the door.

Aizen would not feel the small body press against him or the trembling hand against his arm.

Aizen would not hear the girl's soft voice as she spoke to him.

Aizen wouldn't know of the odd warmth that spread through his body from her presence.

After spending so much time with the strange girl, Ulquiorra had come to several conclusions about her. He related Inoue Orihime to a small flame. She was a candle that had been brought to an icy place and it was met with two choices: it could either be extinguished and die or it could live and warm its surroundings.

Inoue Orihime had _warmed_.

What Aizen didn't know was that his palace was being destroyed from the inside out. He didn't know that anything this girl touched _changed_. He didn't know his soldiers were beginning to think and doubt and _feel_.

Arrancar are born from fear, and because of this they follow Aizen who is fearless.

But Ulquiorra saw Aizen differently now, as if a veil had been lifted from his eyes and he could only relate this change to the coming of Orihime; because before her, his only thoughts had been of Aizen and his plan. Anymore, his thoughts held wide gray eyes and bright hair.

When he looked at Aizen now, he did not see a fearless man, but instead he saw fear itself. Aizen _was_ fear. But, Aizen was also a shinigami, the natural enemy for an arrancar. And even so, the arrancar obeyed him, as if they had forgotten who they were, what they were. Through Aizen they felt fear, and being a fearful creature put them at the level of a human, a thought Ulquoirra had not been comfortable with.

Humans were supposed to be below him, and yet he envied them. He envied them for the freedom they had that he did not.

A hand gripped his sleeve and he felt a warm breath against his neck. "Ulquiorra-san, are my friends still…"

He spoke before she could even finish, his voice silent and emotionless in the cold room.

"Yes."

He wanted to look at her, but he didn't, he couldn't. But Ulquiorra could picture her face in his mind. He could imagine the look of determination and the hope that still flickered in the depths of her eyes.

Aizen relied so much on sight. But some things you couldn't see.

Some things you only needed to _feel_.

* * *

A/N: I couldn't resist doing another UlquiHime..not after the recent manga chapters /squeal/ Could be thought of as a continuation of the previous UlquiHime, but can also stand alone. Came up with this after thinking about Ulquiorra's eyes and how its hard for him to really hide anything from Aizen. That could be why Aizen trusts him so much. But what if Ulquiorra really hated that? Just some food for thought..haha. Hope you enjoyed. Hm, what pairing should I try next...?

--Miss Soupy


	9. Boredom GrimHime

Boredom

Grimmjow roamed the halls, not looking for anything in particular but trying to quiet the need to destroy _something_. It had been days since he had spilled any blood, and truthfully he was bored.

_Very_ bored.

This did not bode well for any creature that happened upon the aggravated espadas path. He stalked down the halls, grinning manically at any stray arrancar he might see and relishing the fear they showed as they quickly scooted away from him. Each of them were weaklings, not even worth his time in battle.

As he rounded another corner he lifted his head, his icy blue eyes falling on something that stood out drastically against the white of the walls.

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes; it was the human girl, worriedly peeking out the door of her room. He paused before his lips spread in a feral grin; there was no Ulquiorra lurking around to guard the precious human Aizen had wanted badly enough to secure for himself.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing woman?" Grimmjow barked, causing the girl to jump in surprise before reeling around to face him. Naturally her eyes widened in fear when she saw who she was facing, but oddly they only held it for a moment before it faded away into question and slight curiosity.

A pale eyebrow rose as Grimmjow stared at the strange creature before him, suddenly not feeling so sure about what he was doing. Fear he knew how to deal with, but this human didn't seem to be afraid. Maybe she was just stupid?

"H-have you seen Ulquiorra-san?" she asked, looking up and down the hall one more time just to be sure. "He said I could go for a walk if someone accompanied me…"

Now this was odd. Not only did the girl seem deft enough, but she also spoke to him fairly easily.

Giving the girl his best scowl, he asked gruffly, "Why do you wanna go for a walk?"

It wasn't that he really cared to know anything about her, but he'd be damned if he let her get away without any signs of terror. He was an _Espada_! Yet, oddly, this human was not afraid.

Orihime blinked up at him a moment before replying honestly, "I was bored."

_Heh, her too._

Grimmjow was silent for a moment, idly scratching the mask less side of his face. He thought about yelling at her to get back into her room. That might get a scare out of her, but it would be short lived and he would then return to being bored. And also, if he did do that, there was always the chance she would blab to that bonehead Ulquiorra. Not that he was worried, but there had to be a better solution…

And then it hit him. The corners of his mouth crept up in a feral grin as his icy blue eyes stared into innocent gray ones.

"You just need a chaperone? Heh, this is your lucky day woman."

Of course when he said it was her lucky day he was actually referring to himself and the fact that this would surely get a rise out of Ulquiorra. It wasn't an easy thing to do afterall; the arrancar had a range of expressions that could be counted on one hand alone. Now that he had two hands, Grimmjow thought maybe a few more should be coaxed out of him.

A hand reached out and not too gently took a hold of Orihime's shoulder.

"Where are we going?" she wondered as he steered her away from the safety of her room.

"For a walk," Grimmjow muttered roughly and said no more, his mind too occupied with imagining the chaos this could cause.

So preoccupied was he, he even forgot to remove his arm from the girls shoulder. But Orihime noticed and looked down at it curiously.

"How is your arm?" she asked quietly, so much so that Grimmjow almost missed her words altogether.

Slightly surprised, he snapped his head in her direction, a bark of anger ready on his lips when he looked down to where his hand rested on the woman's shoulder. How could he have forgotten that this woman was the one who could do the impossible? She brought back his arm from nothing at all.

But what should he care? He didn't owe her, not really. It had been Aizen who told her to fix him. Sure, he had told her to bring back his espada mark, but he would have gotten it back anyways.

Most likely.

Grimmjow's grip loosened, but not before he gave the girls shoulder a short squeeze. There, his arm worked fine, that should tell her all she needed to know. He didn't owe her, he didn't owe anyone.

Glancing sideways, he snuck a look at the girls face only to find she wore an odd smile.

The woman was strange. She could bring back things that were gone, she didn't fear him, and her smile made him feel…different.

Grimmjow looked away with a glower. He almost felt pity for the fool Ulquiorra who had to put up with the odd girl every day. Removing his hand he put it securely in his pocket. Then again, the arrancar thought as he allowed his arm to brush against her fingers, she at least could cure his boredom. Maybe Ulquiorra didn't have it so bad after all.

Arrancar and human walked side by side down the white halls of Las Noches, the human enjoying a rare moment of freedom while the arrancar smiled knowingly to himself.

Elsewhere, a figure walked purposefully forward before suddenly coming to a halt. Two green eyes narrowed dangerously, their depths darkening into a poisonous hue as they picked their pace up once more, though this time walking much more quickly.

_Grimmjow…_

* * *

A/N: awww I couldn't resist putting Ulquiorra in there! Sorry for taking so long to update, it took awhile to get this one out of me, lol. I've been preoccupied with UlquiHime, but I wanted to be fair and write a different pairing. Meanwhile, I am still working on that huge ByaHime fic i mentioned some time ago, as well as perhaps another UlquiHime fic...we'll see what actually gets done... Anyways, hope you liked this one, please review and thank you for all of you who have!

--Miss Soupy


	10. Forgiveness UraHime

Forgiveness

Clogs clicked noisily against the paved sidewalk, drawing attention from passers-by who peered over their shoulders at the odd man. The man, eyes shadowed by the brim of his hat, hid his smile with a fan as he passed under lamplight. It was fun for him, walking amongst humans in his flashy pinstripes and old fashioned dress, his fan waving needlessly in the cool night air as he moved purposefully down the walk.

Seeing a familiar apartment complex, he stopped and looked up, his fan moving away as he watched patiently. He counted down in his head; 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…and a light clicked off in a second story apartment. Moving one clogged foot forward, he took a step and touched down right outside the window he had been watching. Producing his cane, he tapped the window once, which immediately unlocked with a _click_, slid it open, and deposited himself into the room.

Carefully adjusting his hat, he looked around the small bedroom in which he stood. It was most obviously a girl's bedroom, filled with bright colors that were paled by the streaming moonlight, and only the far corners of the room cast a shadow.

As he turned to face the small bed, a voice spoke out to him.

"Good evening, Urahara-san."

There was no surprise in the voice; instead it was innocent and warm, with a familiarity held in reverence to him as well as a certain level of understanding.

Bowing deeply to the occupant in the bed, Urahara rose with a smile and replied, "Wonderful to see you again, Inoue-san."

He stood for a moment, watching her face, her smile, her eyes that held the weariness of a long day, the tightness around her mouth that hadn't been there before she was taken.

Orihime released a long sigh, longer than it should have been, and that was his fault too. He was an observant man, but never quite careful enough, never quite right about anything.

Inoue Orihime was someone he had been far too wrong about.

She was giving him that look again, almost pitying, and he knew she was going to speak.

"Urahara-san, you really don't-"

His fan was brought forth with lightning speed and he shook it, as if reprimanding, at her from the foot of the bed.

"Ah, but Inoue-san, I _do_ have to."

Orihime sighed again and shook her head, but smiled. There was no use in arguing, and his presence would help chase away the loneliness in her heart. As she settled back into bed, Urahara moved around the room, tapping random places on the walls with his cane, leaving the room to examine the rest of the apartment before coming back in. Orihime watched him sleepily, only half conscious, but thinking it would be rude to fall asleep while he was there.

"It seems your protection is holding up just fine," he told her finally and received a small nod in return.

"I'm not afraid, Urahara-san. I trust you." she told him, before she broke out in a large yawn and turned on her side, her face to the moon and her back to the shadows.

Urahara's mouth was suddenly dry and his shoulders tightened as he stood there, silently watching the girl fight sleep for his sake.

"Go to sleep, Orihime," he told her softly, his voice both gentle and commanding.

Pressing her face into her pillow, Orihime's eyes began to close. Sleep was winning over, but not before she whispered three final words.

"I forgive you."

Urahara remained in place until her breathing was even and deep, his eyes never straying from the sleeping girl, his lips forming a slight frown. He couldn't help but release a weary sigh, his hand moving up to scratch his chin, his whiskers tickling his fingers as he did so.

"You are too forgiving, Inoue-san," he whispered to her sleeping form before moving towards the window, walking carefully this time so as not to wake her.

He swung his form out the window and then shut it behind him, remembering to tap it locked with his cane before appearing on the sidewalk again. His walks back to the shop were always more somber in mood. He didn't feel that disconnected from the humans then; surely they could not make such mistakes as he had.

Orihime always said she forgave him. Every night she made sure he knew. And every night he offered her company and protection, because it was the only way he knew to make it up to her.

The problem was that even though she had forgiven him, he didn't know how he could forgive himself. If she frequently had nightmares, if she was constantly looking over her shoulder, if the color white made her nervous, it was because of him. It was his fault.

She had forgiven him, and he believed this.

He could not forgive himself tonight, but maybe tomorrow night…maybe tomorrow night he would hear her words, and finally, finally be able to.

Maybe tomorrow night.

* * *

A/N: Wow its been awhile! Dont ask me how this idea came to me, it was very random, but I like it.

Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuu Chu for beta'ing for me!!!

Hope I have more good ideas soon...

--Miss Soupy


	11. Show Me UlquiHime

Show Me

It really was a nuisance, Ulquiorra thought, his lips dangerously thin while his arms crossed in front of his chest. Grimmjow was a fool for trapping him in this dimension of darkness just so that he could play with his newly chosen toy.

Ulquiorra's eyelids lowered slightly, offering a condescending look into the dark.

_Childish_.

When he finally emerged, free of this cursed dimension, he would be sure to kill him, if he wasn't already dead. Even from within the void, the 4th Espada could feel reiatsu around him and could clearly recognize many battles happening at once around Las Noches; however, he could not determine whether or not the sexta Espada was among them. But he could care less about Grimmjow's pathetic conquests.

Floating along in the darkness, Ulquiorra felt quite content to let the other Espada play. It really was of no concern to him if they lived or died, but rather that he carried out his duties swiftly and fully. However, _his_ duty was taken from him, and there laid the real reason for his annoyance. The girl, _his_ girl, really, had been separated from him. And what made it even more aggravating was that Grimmjow had _known_. Somehow, the barbarian had recognized his connection with the human and that taking her would be doubly effective in spiting him as would be the defeat of Kurosaki Ichigo.

Eyes like green poison narrowed as a hand felt blindly against his chest to where pain seared from his hollow hole. It had been revenge, Ulquiorra had quickly deducted, for his initial interference with Grimmjow's hunt. He had stolen Grimmjow's prey, and for that, Grimmjow had stolen his.

Closing his eyes, Ulquiorra flared his reiatsu and felt the tight feeling ease slightly as small bits of the cube residing within his hollow hole deteriorated. He could not be erased by such a weak device, but it was a very aggravating situation all the same.

With a sigh, Ulquiorra stared out into the darkness once more. It really was a dull place, not suitable for a hollow of his level at all. He couldn't die, but he could do little else than float along in the blackness as patiently as possible. Flippantly, he wondered if he was floating upright, or perhaps on his head, as he didn't possess any sense of direction within the void.

Ulquiorra could only hope that the sexta Espada survived, for it would be all too sweet to silence him for good. And if he truly thought he feared fighting him, he was an even bigger fool. Feelings of fear were reserved for Aizen alone. Nothing else could possibly frighten him.

The world he belonged to was dark, with white-painted walls in place to conceal its true nature. Aizen's strength was illusion, but Ulquiorra's was sight. In reality, those white walls were black as well; but even in the dark, there was light. For a long time, he had thought it impossible to harbor such a thing in the depths of Hueco Mundo, but he had brought that light himself - that warm orange glow that flickered so steadily. It was a small flame, but a strong one as well.

Focusing outward again, Ulquiorra felt the steady warmth of the woman somewhere in the distance. She was the easiest reiatsu to focus on, he found, though he was unsure of as to why. But she was there, alive and strong still, and for that he felt an alien sense of relief.

At least he had not _completely_ failed Aizen, and for that, relief could be felt (or so he rationalized).

If he closed his eyes, he found that he could picture her. He thought that now she would wear a look of fear, and he felt an emotion similar to disgust well up within him. She really was an annoying girl; she was full of such potential, and yet she showed fear so easily. When he had first seen her, she had shown only fear, and she had been trash. A hasty conclusion, he felt, _knew_, now, but at the time she hadn't mattered then. No, she had not meant something until she had stood and faced Yami, her friend's lives hanging in the balance with only her determination to stand in the way. It had been then that he had seen it, perhaps his favorite emotion out of the endless sea she had expressed thus far.

Defiance.

It had been so surprising, so _spectacular_, that he had felt something stir within him at that look that rejected fear. It had not been the first time he had seen that look, though that particular sentiment was well hidden within Hueco Mundo by those brave (or foolish) enough to have shown it.

Never before had he felt interest in anything but his duty. But she, a mere human, had intrigued him.

The next time he had seen her, she was once again fearful, but mostly despairing. With but a few words, he had broken her down, taken away all her hope of escape, and left her with only one choice. But as hopelessly beautiful she looked as a martyr, it was not the look he had desired.

It hadn't been until he came to finally retrieve her from her world to take her into his had she shown it again. When he appeared before her, there had been a moment when she had looked into his eyes, and _he saw it_. Her jaw tightened, her shoulders moved back as she walked towards him, and her eyebrows tensed. He watched her closely, recording everything, but for the first time it wasn't for Aizen to see. For the first time, it was for himself; he wanted to _remember_.

She had looked him square in the eyes, and even though she was trembling, her voice was strong as she told him, "I'm ready."

He had truly found Aizen a treasure among all of the garbage in the world. The woman hadn't even shown fear as she appeared before Aizen, with the arrancar gathering to get a look at the silent thing Ulquiorra had brought, silent and fragile like a glass figurine. But he knew better, and they learned as well once her power was made known; suddenly, she was the woman that held the power of the gods. They didn't understand her, though they knew she was Aizen's new tool and treated her as such.

But it was Ulquiorra who was chosen to protect her, out of favor; or maybe it was something else, though he refused to question it. And as her guard, he had continued to watch her, and she only intrigued him further, to the point where he could begin to admit it to himself.

_What a strong woman_.

Never would he have imagined himself calling a human strong, but there she was, surprising him still. He would test her strength too, to see how far it could be pushed. Ulquiorra trailed two fingers idly down his cheek at the remembrance. He had received a slap for that, but also had been rewarded with her most defiant look yet. Her eyes had nearly sparked a flame while her fingers, cold and bitter, might have frozen him.

When she had touched him, his initial impulse had been to strike her, but this act he found nearly impossible to perform. Harming her had suddenly become an action forbidden, and he wondered when that change had occurred. Never had he felt he could not fight back against someone.

But she _had_ been harmed.

She had cried for the first time since coming to Hueco Mundo. He could hear her from the hall as he stood, back against her door, his head inclined slightly. His cheek tingled oddly, but even more disturbing was the anger he felt. At the time, he hadn't known why he was angry, or with whom he was angry.

Now, Ulquiorra could recognize the source of his anger, although it was troubling and difficult to admit. Since then, she had been harmed more severely than from his own actions, and he had not been there to prevent it. Her blood had caked the floor in her now ruined room, and his anger had returned ten fold.

And now he was trapped, helpless to do anything. The beasts had been released, and there she stood in the middle of destruction and death in her blood-splattered white. And with everything happening around her, she would once again forget her power, because she had always been saved. She had always had someone, and her strength was never given a chance to grow. Kurosaki could never realize that fact; it was his job to save others, and it had seemed like it was her job to be saved.

But then suddenly, in the midst of blaming the hero, a sudden realization fell upon the Espada and his eyes widened while his fingers itched faintly. Would he, could he treat her the same? The anger he had felt knowing she had been harmed was so real, so vivid. He did not experience such intense emotions. He wouldn't, he couldn't…but he _had_. Fingers relaxing, he moved his hands to his pockets and calmed himself, diminishing the reiatsu he had been spilling.

He was not the hero, had no desire to be, and Inoue Orihime did not need another hero. No, she needed to be pushed, so that the power he knew was deep within her could grow. The strength he saw in her defiance needed to be realized and put to the test. Ulquiorra couldn't even begin to imagine what she could accomplish if given the motive, the reason to _do it_. Her power could be large enough to shake both Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, and yet small enough to touch even the coldest of hearts.

And Ulquiorra would be there to witness it, for he felt compelled now to follow her and watch her develop. He would let her fight on her own, but when she could do no more he would be there, the silent blade falling on those who would stop her. Perhaps it had not been such a waste after all, being trapped in the dimension of the caja negacion. This would give the woman a chance to stand on her own. And maybe, when he returned, he would be gifted with another look from her.

Ulquiorra's lips lifted a fraction.

_Show me, onna…_

* * *

A/N: I really cant get enough of this pairing, what can i say.

Special thanks to my chu-koi for beta-ing this for me!!

-Miss Soupy


	12. Color Your Heart UlquiHime

Color Your Heart

It was as if she couldn't breathe. But who had time to breathe when everything was happening so quickly? If only there was time; time to think, to take a step back from this horribly confusing situation (it was partially her fault, wasn't it?) and just pause.

To stop it all.

The-creature-who-was-not-Ichigo towered over Ulquiorra as the champion. Wasn't that what she had wanted though? To be free of the cold arrancar who seemed to enjoy causing her mental torment whenever possible?

_Not like this._

No, she now realized she did not wish for his death and most likely never did. She was kind to a fault - to the point where she was _weak_. Ulquiorra _was_ right. Her heart did make her a weaker person, because she could care enough about the enemy to pity them. Ichigo was like that too, it was why she loved him, but he was able to fight. He used his blade, knowing that sometimes you had to hurt the ones you wanted to save. But Ichigo was gone now, and to where, she didn't know, but this _thing_ wasn't going to stop. It was not about to allow its enemy, its _prey,_ to learn and change from their encounter.

What would Ulquiorra be like if he could feel anyways?

She had never shared with him what it was like to have a heart, and now he would never know.

In that moment, Orihime became consumed with this thought. As she stared at the arrancar lying defeated on the ground, sadness welled up within her; a sadness so deep and vast and familiar that it frightened her. And yet it was this sadness that gave her insight, and she wished she could help him, if only because _no one_ deserved to be so lonely.

_Make it stop._

(She had felt the same profound sadness when Sora had died)

_My will._

(And then again when he had died the second time, as a hollow)

_My will can reject._

(Without her friends, her world would be just like his)

_I will reject all that divides us._

Orihime's pins flashed as she closed her eyes and reached deep within for her power. Once she found it, she made her request, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself facing a white door. She blinked, looking down what appeared to be a white corridor inside of Las Noches. The door waited invitingly, and she knew she needed to open it; there didn't seem to be much else she could do anyways, so she pushed it in and entered. The room looked exactly like the room she had been held in, but, for reasons she couldn't explain, she knew it was not the same one. In fact, there was one major difference between this room and the other. It seemed that she and Ulquiorra had changed places, for he now stood in the center, his back to her, staring out the barred window at the moon.

Orihime stood there in the doorway, unsure of herself and wondering if it had all been a dream (but the memories were _so real_ that it really couldn't have been), when Ulquiorra spoke, "This room was different before."

His voice startled her, but she noticed that he hadn't moved to look at her, choosing instead to remain in his place by the window.

"In the beginning, it was empty, merely four walls of white and a door. Everything was either black or white, and even though there was a door, I did not bother trying to open it. Somehow I knew that outside the door there was nothing. Nothing but more rooms of white like my own. I found it meaningless for me to leave this room only to replace it with another just like it."

She stayed silent as he spoke, feeling that he _needed_ to tell her these things. He didn't talk much, but what he did say would have to be very important.

"I did not expect more than what I had, it was meaningless to do so. And so I lived, neither happy nor unhappy, because there was no point in feeling either. Nothing could change the four white walls."

His voice held no emotion as he spoke, but she hadn't expected it to anyways. He didn't need to color his words to make her understand his point.

"Aizen-sama gave me orders, and I carried them out, and that was how I lived. He told me to go to the living world to destroy a target, and I left to do so. I did not foresee what occurred there, but in the end, I decided the original target was not worth our attention; instead I saw potential in another."

Understanding dawned upon Orihime's face as he said this, but still he did not turn to face her.

"It was after this encounter that the first change occurred, though at first I did not notice it. It was such an insignificant thing, the rug, that when I finally did become aware of its existence, I couldn't recall if it had or hadn't been there all along. I examined the rug, stood upon the rug, walked over the rug, but I could discern no further purpose for its presence so I put it out of my mind."

He seemed to shift, ever so slightly, upon the very rug of which he spoke before he continued.

"That change, however insignificant, was not the last, as you can see. The next occurred after I brought you here. Aizen-sama ordered me to keep you comfortable, but to also make you realize you were hopelessly confined. In accordance, I selected a very plain room for you and deposited you there. But to my great surprise, when I once again returned to this place, there was that couch. It looked exactly the same as the couch that sat in your room, and it was too large for me to ignore."

Orihime's eyes flickered to the couch a moment. It truly was an exact replica of the one she had known, the one where she had sat and planned and fretted and worried and cried…it was the same white as everything else, and when she had sat upon it, she had felt as if she could disappear in its white and never be seen again.

"I was honestly perplexed over its appearance, but the couch turned out to be just a couch. It did nothing in particular; I could sit upon it or lay upon it, but other than that I did not draw any real comfort from it. I believe now that you must be able to say the same. But, for whatever reason it had appeared, it was still a white object in a white room, and therefore I could not find a convincing reason to feel concern over it."

Orihime wanted to tell him that it was ok, and that it really _was_ just a boring couch and not all that comfortable, but she didn't because it still wasn't her time to speak. It was still his story, and she knew now that she was the first to hear it, so she had to make sure she was attentive. Things this important needed to be remembered, after all.

"When your friends entered Hueco Mundo, I went to make sure you understood what was going on as well as to reiterate that you belonged to us. I was …surprised by your resolve as I truly had not expected it and was forced to reexamine the few things I thought I knew about your character. I wanted to be sure I could handle you properly, you see, but to this day I have been unable to satisfactorily predict your actions. Ah, but this is beside the point, because it wasn't much later that I came here to find a pot in the corner there."

Looking over her shoulder, Orihime's eyes widened at what she hadn't noticed till now; though how she missed something so large, she wasn't sure.

"The pot held nothing but dirt at first, so it was merely a white pot with black dirt and not as unusual as the much larger white couch. And then not longer after it appeared, a table materialized in my white room as well. What was most peculiar about this change, however, was not the table, but the pot. Inside of it, a plant had begun to germinate. Now, a plant cannot grow without a seed, and I had certainly not put a seed in the dirt, nor had there been anyone else in my white room to do so, and so I was left with this hole in my logic. And, what was even worse was that the plant in the pot was neither white nor black. It was green, as a plant should be, but in my world plants should not be green, nor should they even exist. Do you see how maddening it was becoming?"

Orihime thought she did see, at least to some extent. It would be quite frightening having someone sneak in and change something about your life without asking permission first. But who would have done it? Perhaps Ulquiorra would tell her.

He seemed to sigh, as if to collect himself, before he continued, "By then, I was beginning to believe my mental state had to be deteriorating, and I could find only one probable cause. If it had been your plan all along, though I highly doubt it, I must give you credit because the attack was unforeseen. If not, then you still can receive the credit if you wish, for your fluke seemed to cost me greatly."

Ulquiorra paused then, as if considering something, his head tilting to the side ever so slightly.

"But no; you did not do this purposefully, so the fault must lay at least partially with myself, as unfortunate as that may be. At any rate, the changes continued, and the next time I saw you, after I escaped the caja negacion, I found this window complete with these bars."

He swept his arm at the window, and Orihime bobbed her head in understanding, but then remembered he couldn't see her do it and felt silly.

"And, of course, that plant kept growing and remained green, the only color in my own personal replica of your jail, and I was forced to ask myself _why_? I do not usually question things, you see. I find questioning anything a waste of energy and time, and yet there I was, _wondering_. My sudden curiosity did not just pertain to the events taking place here, however, but also events on the outside, namely, your odd character and this thing known as the 'heart'."

Orihime, who had been admiring the vine-like plant that now adorned the walls and ceiling, swung her head back to look at Ulquiorra when he had spoke of the heart.

"But now, in my final moments of life, I have at least solved the mystery of this place and am forced to admit the truth. If this room is, as I believe, a reflection of myself, then it must be said that my 'self' has changed. I do not like admitting this, as it feels contrary to my whole existence, and what is even more exasperating is your sudden appearance here."

At this, Ulquiorra finally turned to face her, and Orihime couldn't help but utter a gasp in surprise at his appearance. Seeing him, she immediately felt sorry for the arrancar, for he certainly was in a confused state of mind and she was partially to blame. But, she thought, the colored side of his face certainly looked much more inviting than the black and white side, for only on the side that did no include his mask did Ulquiorra have his usual green eye and usual turquoise tear streak.

"Why have you come here, woman?"

She blinked a moment, confused (was this not where she was supposed to stay?), but then quickly remembered her purpose (no, this was really Ulquiorra's place now).

"W-well you see, it's all very strange for me too, being here, but I've messed up so much lately…I wish I could take it all back, but I can't. Well, I suppose I _can_, or should be able to, shouldn't I? But since I don't know how, I think this is the best I can do, and I really wanted to do _something_."

Ulquiorra watched her with his one green eye and one colorless eye, his hands in his pockets as was customary for him. "Enough of this babbling," he told her, and she stopped to really focus on him again.

He was right. She really was getting no where and Ulquiorra was a practical sort of person so she just needed say it and be done.

"I…regretted that I didn't take the time to understand you, Ulquiorra, and I felt that, in the end, you should know. You wanted answers didn't you?" she said it in a kind, but serious tone, because it was something she felt so strongly about. She had been given this opportunity, and she didn't want to mess it up now.

Ulquiorra seemed to be listening at least, if not somewhat intrigued by her offer. "Answers?"

"About friendship, bonds…the heart."

This seemed to strike something in the arrancar, for he took a step towards her, doing his best to ignore the giant plant continuously growing in the corner, and said, "Perhaps, if only to quench this infuriating curiosity that has sparked. Go on then, tell me about your heart."

She gave him a small smile, glad that he had accepted her offer before taking a giant breath. It wasn't the easiest thing, describing something like this, but she was going to try and do it right.

"Well, first, you were right about the heart and those emotions that come with it. The heart doesn't actually make you stronger in the physical sense at all. In fact, it can make a person really weak. I am a perfect example of this, you see, for I have a hard time hurting anyone, even someone who would kill me, a-and, that's no good at all. It's made me helpless so many times, and now, well, there is just so much regret."

She released a strangled laugh then, and wiped an eye with her wrist, "B-but that's all really beside the point. What I mean to say is, if the heart really did make us stronger, then, well, everyone would just always be saved. A son who loves his mother would have been able to save her…but I know Kurosaki-kun's mother is gone. And I would have had the power to save my brother, but he is dead too."

Thankfully, Ulquiorra stayed silent, because she was really on a roll now.

"You see, what the heart _really_ does, is something much more simple. The hearts true power is keeping people from being, well, _lonely_. If you give your heart to other people, it insures that you are never really alone. I know how horrible loneliness is…so I really mean it when I say that no one should have to face the world by themselves. It…it's such a horrible feeling, loneliness."

His lips were thinning, and she thought he must have been struggling to remain silent. He was still waiting.

"When I feel lonely, I feel very weak, and also, I feel very detached from everything. You know that feeling, where the world seems to be going at a different pace…one that you cannot catch up to… I don't think people are meant to feel that way, but it happens and it is a hard thing to overcome. It's…crippling."

She wrapped her arms around herself, as if to shield from the hurtful memories of her past, and looked at the ceiling in thought. "You have lived your whole life feeling like that, haven't you Ulquiorra? You must know better than anyone how bad it feels."

The arrancar said nothing, just stared at her with his sad eyes, and in that moment Orihime felt she knew him better than anyone in the world.

"And, even though you might find it silly, the only thing that can take away loneliness is making bonds with others. When you do that, you give a part of yourself to someone else, so that you are connected. You see? The loneliness goes away, and you feel stronger because of it. You could call loneliness a weakness, and bonds are the only way to defeat this weakness. That, Ulquiorra, is how the heart makes us stronger."

Orihime let out a sigh in relief as she finished, and waited for Ulquiorra to say something. But seconds flew by, and still the arrancar was silent, watching as he usually did, not blinking, not moving. He was thinking then, she knew, for every moment the 4th esapada didn't react outwardly, you could be sure he was reacting inwardly.

Finally, dark lips took up motion once more as he said blankly, "That is all there is to it?"

"Yes, it's pretty simple isn't it?"

"Surprisingly so."

Ulquiorra seemed to sigh then, a deep sigh that rattles away all that had been weighing one down. He turned his head away from her to examine the opposite wall. It must have been hard for him, suddenly obtaining the answers to the revolutionary questions he had asked. Now there was nothing left to do but take them in; that and decide where to go from here. But did he have a choice now?

"It is unfortunate then, that this was not revealed to me sooner, back in the tower, that is. Perhaps then, when Kurosaki Ichigo arrived, I would have told him to leave, or killed him on the spot rather than toyed with him as I did for so long…ah, but that is irrelevant now."

Orihime blinked, confused at his behavior and at how easily everything seemed to slide off of him even though to her, the situation seemed so dire. She half-wished she could share his displaced attitude towards the world, if only for a moment. And then when he finally turned back to look at her again, she couldn't help but utter a surprised gasp when she saw he no longer was living in half color but now was set back to his normal self. There were two green eyes, greener than even the plant, she observed, and his twin tear streaks of turquoise were also both present.

"Hm, that plant is far too distracting now," Ulquiorra mused, and Orihime followed his gaze to see that the vine now had several flowers blooming, all of which were full of color as well.

"It's kind of like magic, isn't it? Like one of those wonderful endings that leaves you feeling good, like you can do anything, and everything really _can_ turn out all right…"

She remembered those movies, where everything turned out just right in the end. But it was almost like another life for her, remembering the days when she had believed it to be possible. It was funny how helping him had somehow healed something within her (even if Ulquiorra really hadn't undergone any huge personality change).

"Nonsense," he said, in that oh-so-Ulquiorra way, and Orihime couldn't help but sigh.

He truly had a unique personality, and even though it was so different than hers, she had somehow gained a great understanding of it. In fact, she actually thought she might miss interacting with him.

And then she remembered, and her heart fell even as she whispered, "What's going to happen?"

Ulquiorra cocked his head. "I have always known that one day this place will crumble. Before it changed, knowing this was almost an inviting thought. It is inevitable. The timing, perhaps, is not what I might desire, but rarely are we in control of the time of our demise."

Her eyebrows tensed incredulously as she said, "You _want_ to die now? B-but, you _know_ now! How can you just-,"

"Woman," he called softly, "I am not like your nakama, who do not give up. I am more pragmatic than that."

It was true, he wasn't like them, but that didn't mean his worth was less, it didn't mean she didn't wish he would try.

"B-but…" she was dangerously close to tears now. Her nose tingled alerting her of it, and he seemed to notice her desperation too.

"Tears? Over me? What is the meaning of this, woman?"

It did seem silly, putting it like that. Crying for someone she had thought of as evil, uncaring, and diabolical. But none of those things mattered now, because something had passed between them, without either of them noticing.

"I guess, it's too late now…I hope you don't mind, b-but I _do_ care now. So that's why…"

He looked startled for a moment, as he realized what she was saying. Experimentally, Ulquiorra placed a hand against his chest and then brought it away. "I do not feel it."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"I will try not to think of it."

They looked at each other. Time was over now, she could feel it, a pull in the back of her head. She couldn't stop it forever, but…

"Will you die?" Her eyes were sad as she whispered it, but still she held some hope. She always would hold hope.

"Perhaps," he answered, truthfully. Ulquiorra did not candy-coat things, not even for her. But just as she now understood him, he could say the same for her. Finally things had fallen into place for him, and it hadn't changed him dramatically as he had feared it would; but in some way he couldn't pinpoint, things were clearer now. Maybe he had taken on some of her traits, because he then felt the need to add, "But one never knows."

And because he had said that, she could let him go now, and she did so, with a smile and a nod. As Ulquiorra's world began to disappear and Orihime was pulled back into reality, she felt in her heart that things would be ok.

He had hoped too, after all.

* * *

A/N: Had to write this after last weeks chapter. I really wish something like this could happen -sigh-

Special thanks to theJiggly for beta-ing. Thanks for working so hard sweetie X3

--Miss Soupy


	13. Vampire's Treat

A/N: Just a short halloween fic I wrote for the UlquiHime FC at BA. Enjoy.

* * *

Vampire's Treat

"How does it go again?"

Orihime smiled, reaching out to adjust Ulquiorra's ebony hair, which had been messed up while trying to get him dressed. She'd pulled at his tattered shirt and then backed up to get a good look at him, finding he truly looked the part.

"When they answer the door, we say 'trick or treat'."

Ulquiorra frowned, pulling absentmindedly at the collar that hung loosely around his neck as he watched Orihime move away to make a few last-minute adjustments to her own costume. When she had come to him with the desire to go as a pair, he had been skeptical but agreed only because she seemed so excited about it. She had come up with the idea of a role reversal, where she could go as a bat and he could go as a human. This had somehow evolved, within the confines of her imagination, into something entirely different. Now she was going as, what she called, a vampire queen. He, apparently, was her unfortunate victim, now made into a human-zombie type of slave. Ulquiorra didn't argue; she had explained it all so matter-of-factly to him, after all. He couldn't argue with her logic, because, well, he just couldn't understand it enough to do so.

"And why do we say this?" he asked doubtfully, allowing a quick glance into the bathroom, where Orihime was leaning over the sink to fix her makeup. Her short skirt rode up a bit, revealing a creamy thigh. When she looked back at him through the mirror, he quickly diverted his attention elsewhere.

"Because! Um…" she looked thoughtful for a minute before her face brightened again, "Well, we really want the treat, which is candy, you see. But just in case they don't have candy, there is the trick option." She puckered her lips and painted them a bright crimson color, before turning back to look at him. "Do I look scary?"

Ulquiorra, who had been captivated by the roll of paint against her soft lips, had to blink and refocus before answering her question. "Not particularly threatening."

She scrunched her face and returned to the mirror, thinking about what she could do next. A thought must have struck her, for she had moved the red color back towards her face, making a mark from the corn of her lip down to her chin.

"Is it supposed to look like blood?" he guessed, watching her smile happily as she nodded.

"Exactly! I am a vampire queen after all. Isn't it really scary?"

He wasn't sure if he could ever think of her as scary; in fact, she looked quite good in her short skirt and bright striped stockings. The dark paint around her eyes and her blood red lips made her look more exotic, he supposed, but deep down she was still bubbly, kind Orihime.

But she was excited, and he wished to please her, so he found himself saying, "Yes."

"Thanks, Ulquiorra!" she said breathlessly, beaming at him. She seemed to have a sudden thought, however, for she moved close to him, causing him to stiffen somewhat at the proximity. She was touching his neck softly, and he felt warmth in his cheeks.

"Hmm…" she hummed softly, moving her face closer to the junction of his neck and collarbone. He could feel her warm breath hitting his pale skin, and he closed his eyes, feeling his body react positively to the closeness. "Maybe…" Even more warm air caressed his skin and Ulquiorra's eyes shot open as he realized she had opened her mouth. A strained heartbeat later and she had allowed her exposed teeth to graze his neck softly before she pulled away altogether. Ulquiorra's breath came out in a quick pant, but Orihime was already moving back into the bathroom. She returned with the red paint she had used, and he watched, dazed, as she made two marks where her teeth had been a moment before. After she was satisfied with that, she made a larger stroke below each of them, and pushed him in front of the mirror.

"See? Now you look like my victim." She pointed at his neck and grinned, throwing her arms around him excitedly. "Won't this be fun?"

Ulquiorra stared at the place on his neck that now held what looked like bite marks oozing blood and sighed inwardly. If it had been up to him, he would have just as soon forgotten this whole holiday…or even better, celebrated it privately with his "vampire queen". Yes, that would surely be much more interesting than this 'trick or treat' thing. Ulquiorra didn't even like candy.

Allowing his fingers to slide easily through her hair, Ulquiorra looked into her warm eyes and muttered, "Perhaps."

Orihime gave him a wink and a more wicked expression than usually graced her face, and Ulquiorra felt his heart rate increase significantly. His excitement was short lived however, as Orihime gave a quick tug at the chain attached to his collar.

"That's an order, slave!" she commanded loftily, slipping into what, he supposed, would be her queen-like persona for the night.

He raised his eyebrows, green eyes burning and his hand flinching to grab her and pull her close.

Seeing his odd look, she faltered, her smile slipping into a worried face as she said, "I'm sorry, Ulquiorra! I was only pretending."

He took her hand, comfortingly, but leaned his face so that his mouth was poised next to her ear. "Do not worry…" Ulquiorra paused, before allowing his voice to drop and he practically _purred_, "_Hime-sama_."

He could pretend too, after all, if the situation called for it. And if her wide eyes and flushed cheeks were any indication, this situation held enough merit to try.


End file.
